Look Awesome While Enjoying Holiday Food And Drink

It’s that time of year again; the time to enjoy family and friends, and to overindulge in delicious holiday food and drink. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, we are bombarded with parties, dinners, gifts of cookies, cocktails, and advertising images that inspire us to make our own holiday yummies!

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the bounty of the season, in moderation. Even then, your skin might show some of the effects, and not in a good way. Please keep an eye on your intake, first of all – try to balance the lasagna with the string beans, and the pies with the white meat turkey. Go easy on the gravies and condiments, which tend to be fatty and salty, both make you look puffy and tired even when you’re perfectly well-rested (who is well-rested in December!)

Some people are prone to breakouts from the delicious desserts and candies that are everywhere now. If you tend to have acne problems related to food, you need to be extra careful. Since that first bite is always the best, try to stop after that. Try a few different things, and both your face and your pants will thank you!

Another thorny problem is the alcohol that is so hard to avoid, in everything from eggnog to hot toddies and mulled ciders that are so much a part of the holiday tradition. And the alcohol itself isn’t the only problem – these drinks are all very sugary, and are really dangerous for your complexion; they can make acne worse and are doubly dehydrating. Obviously, the first key here is moderation, but let’s face it, that doesn’t always work out the way we planned. Make sure that for every drink that contains alcohol, you also have at least one glass of plain water to neutralize the ill effects on your body, mind, and skin. You’ll be able to party longer, you’ll feel better the next day, and you’ll look prettier, because you won’t be pale, sallow, and puffy, and your skin won’t be dry because you’ve thought ahead and kept hydrated. The non-alcoholic holiday drinks also tend to be very sweet: cider, cocoa, coffee concoctions, minty teas, all tend to have a ton of sugar. In some, especially the last two, you can try a sugar substitute. But for all of them, the same rule applies – stay hydrated. Caffeine and sugar have terrible effects on your appearance.

Do you indulge in a cigarette after a delicious meal? There’s probably no worse thing for your skin than smoking. It ages you prematurely, and you will get those fine lines around your lips that come from sucking on the cigarettes. Health concerns might seem very remote, but the effects on your appearance might be a more immediate reason to quit!

Holiday fun is fantastic, and you should enjoy every minute of it. Try to keep your skin (and the body inside it) in mind, as you taste and sip this season. Sure, it would be nice to eat and drink whatever you want, but isn’t it more fun to look back at holiday pictures and say, “I looked great that day”?